Baby Sign Language?

shantalina · November 2011

I just read an article in BabyTalk magazine about how teaching your baby little signs can help reduce frustration for baby and mom because it gives little one a way to communicate their needs before they're ready to talk. But I've also heard that teaching them sign language will cause a delay for them learning to talk. I haven't done much research yet on the subject but I think it could be a pretty beneficial way to communicate with LO, and to develop hand-eye coordination. What do you think? Anyone teach their LO baby sign language? Are you thinking about it?

mjsweetgirl · November 2011

Absolutely go for it! DS is 2 and is starting speech therapy next week for a speech delay. He lost about 5 words and has shown some other signs of delay. The top thing we are learning, is sign language. As per recommendation of his speech therapist and by one of my good friends who has her masters in speech pathology.

If I could go back and do one thing differently with DS when he was really little was do more sign language. He does know more, please and all done. Which has reduced tons of frustration and has helped us communicate.

I feel as thought we are starting from square one, but I know we are doing the right thing by teaching him sign language. We are going to invest in a few videos that were recommended to me that are called signing time.

Also, there are a lot of books at the bookstore you can buy that are all about baby sign language. We have one called Baby Signs.

Good luck in your search, and from one mama to the next, please give it a try with a few signs and see how it goes. It can't hurt. I promise.

marissaw5 · November 2011

I recommend it wholeheartedly!

I started teaching DS at about 7 months. Within DAYS he had mastered all the basics to communicate- more, all done, yes, please and thank-you. It made both of our lives SO much easier. As he's gotten older he is still learning signs and has mastered a lot more complex signs. He is now 18 mo. and picking up language at a normal rate. He still signs but is now adding the vocals as well. I feel like it has been a huge benefit for our family and plan to teach LO as well.. DS will probably teach her more than me!

Oh- and totally look up https://www.babysigningtime.com/ they are helpful.. and entertaining- for hours! Good luck!

KRISTA555 · November 2011

You can make up your own. The only one I taught my DD was "all done" when she was in her high chair. Other than that, she just would say her baby talk version of what she wanted, and since I'm around her constantly, I generally understood/understand what she wants.

niknak7 · November 2011

I have been teaching it to DD and she has been using it inconsistently. I actually took an entire class on it when I was studying child development and it is proven that kids actually talk sooner when they learn sign language, absolutely no delay. I will be using it with this LO too. I recommend getting a book on it to learn about the best ways to implement it.

Monkeybabe · November 2011

My coworker taught her son sign language and he definitely had a delay. They would try to get him to speak and he'd get frustrated and sign to them instead. It was like he didn't see the point in talking since they already understood what he wanted. Once they got him to start talking, he wouldn't shut up, though. It wasn't that he couldn't talk, he just didn't want to.

BitsKD13 · November 2011

My friend uses baby signing with her DDs and there hasn't been any delays in speech. But I know they also say the words while signing and try to get the girls to say the words too so maybe that helped.

My second cousin's son also used sign (the family's version anyway) and didn't speak till he was around three. But he could find ways to get his point across to those of us who didn't understand what he was signing. He also responded to and understood what we said to him so his doctors pretty much said he'll talk when he's ready to. Once he did start he was talking as well as any other child his age.

I'm not sure if we'll use sign or not. Both DH and I were talking pretty early so it's something we still have to think about.

ljtvirkus · November 2011

I am a sign language interpreter and I totally will do baby sign! It does NOT cause a speech delay and any language acquisition is (even sign language) promotes and reinforces language development and increases early literacy skills.

ljtvirkus · November 2011

KRISTA555:
You can make up your own. The only one I taught my DD was "all done" when she was in her high chair. Other than that, she just would say her baby talk version of what she wanted, and since I'm around her constantly, I generally understood/understand what she wants.

I would be careful with this- your own communication system that you create is not a real language and may not have the same benefits as teaching/learning a second language.

steph2809 · November 2011

DH and I have talked about it a lot and we now plan on teaching our LO sign language. I bought the book Superbaby by Dr. Jenn Berman and I haven't started to read it yet I have looked thought it. The book has a whole chapter on teaching baby sign language; I noticed a chart that says to start teaching at 3-6 mounts. I plan on using some kind of program to help with the teaching.

I once worked in a day care where one of the toddlers did sign language and would not speak. But I think that was because the family had a deft child and did not focus on speaking so much.

Jen0204 · November 2011

We definitely plan on using it. I have a couple of friends who taught their children and they all loved being able to communicate effectively earlier. One friend is having some trouble getting her 2 year old to speak more often (she started speaking and is developing at a normal rate, but still primarily uses sign language for things like please and thank you), but she still says that if she had to do it all over again she'd still teach her sign language because it makes life so much easier and reduces frustration for the parents and child.

For anyone who knows more about this - my only concern with teaching the girls sign language is that they'll be splitting time between both grandmothers for daycare. At my parent's house the primary language is English, as it is for my husband and I. However, my husband is Indian, so at his parent's house they speak Hindi primarily and I know they plan on speaking that to the girls. Would being exposed to English, Hindi, and sign language be too much for them? I'm sure both grandmothers will be willing to learn the signs, so I'm not worried about that.

Jessimurph · November 2011

Baby sign was fantastic for us. I watched the dvd's rented from netflix while I nursed her and would sign whileI spoke to her. I was amazed how quickly she picked it up and I imagine she was much less frustrated being able to communicate with me. She is very advanced verbally and when she learned how to speaka word she dropped the sign. We've recently been signing with her again so she can sign to her brother.

jayla131 · November 2011

I was just thinking about this as well. I nanny for a family who the mom started teaching her son sign language when he was about 6 months. It did reduce frustration for the mom and baby (and its so cute when they do it but I noticed that he does not do too much "talking" and he is 17 months now. Before I read this post I was linking his delay with the sign language but that is only 1 of my observations, so thanks for the post/feedback

Mamasaurus · November 2011

Yes, I want to do this as part of EC.

I haven't read any of the books yet because I am still working my way through Bradley books, but I bet tons of people in the attachment parenting group can recommend some to you.

Shawnee11507 · November 2011

I plan on doing it. My BIL and SIL did it with all three of their children and there were no delays. They also speak the word when they sign. I think it will be so helpful for baby to be able to sign "hungry" before they are able to speak instead of guessing why they are crying (hungry? dirty diaper?)- as an example.

med380 · November 2011

We didn't really do it at first, but my son picked up a couple signs at daycare. He also had a bit of a speech delay (he didn't have any words at 18 months), and the doctor and speech therapist suggested we do more signing with him. I was surprised at how quickly he picked it up. Plus, I think it helped him start talking too - once he got the sign down, then he started to say the word that went with it.

Although he's talking a lot now, there are still certain words he says where he will always do the sign too.

With the next child we will start signing earlier.

salt78 · November 2011

Definitely doing it. My SIL taught both of her boys baby sign language when they were smaller and it really helped their communication. (They are 6 and 3 now.) I've never heard of it causing a speech delay. Both of my nephews are like genius children who were talking from an early age.

PregsterDD · November 2011

My best friend's baby boy was taught baby sign language and now at 18mo, has a 50 work vocab. normally like 5-10 works at that age. He seems so super smart and so much more advanced than other boys his age. I say go for it. I am totally doing it!

ghdst1 · November 2011

My son is biligual in english and ASL since my husband is deaf. I am fluent in ASL and we have signed with him since birth. He has shown no signs of delay in his verbal spoken english and we have been able to communicate with him much better with his knowledge of sign.

Children who learn more than one langauage have been shown to increase a child's brain functioning.

Runwild! · November 2011

I used signs with my infant twins. The experience was so great I decided to offer classes to other families. I joined the Baby Signs team and offer classes in Alameda, CA (Bay Area), but I am sure you can find an intructor near you. Lean more at https://www.babysigns.com/.You will be totally amazed at how much your baby can share with you!!Mary Grace
Certified Sign Language Interpreter
Baby Signs Independent Certified Instructor
https://www.teachmebabysigns.com

CTri17 · November 2011

absolutely do it, we did it with DD and will do it with this LO as well.

We started signing milk and all done (and some others) to her at 2 mo and by 6 mo she was signing back.

She knows well over 150 signs at 21 mo and also has the vocab of a 2.5 year old, she speaks very well and spoke fairly early,

So don't worry about it making them behind in talking.

She talks and signs at the same time!

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